Shoe-clasp



N0. 62l,4l5. Patented Mar. 2|, I899. J. HODGES & C. 0. SUBINSKI.

SHOE CLASP.

(Application filed Nov. 14, 1898.)

(No Model.)

JESS

E'HODGES AND CHARLES o.--soBINsKI o'F sr. LOUIS, MIssoURI'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,415, dated March21, 1899,

' pplication filed November 14, 1898. sen'nno. 696,438. on model.)

, To dZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JESSE HODGES and CHARLES O. SOBINSKI, citizens ofthe United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Clasps, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof.

Our invention has relation to improvements in shoe-clasps; and itconsists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fullyset forth in the specification and pointed out in the-claims.

' to .close the opening of the pocket punched therefrom.

The object of our invention is to construct a clasp which will take theplace of the prevailing shoe-lace, which must be renewed from timetotime during the'life of the shoe. '.A further object is to construct aclasp which will be simple, reliable, positive in ac- 1 tion, cheap, anddurable.

* In detail it may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a serrated or toothed tongueadapted to be se-.

cured to the shoe by the staple-prongs 2, punched from the body of themetal at one end thereof, the said tongue constituting the' male memberof the clasp. The female member comprises a plate 3, secured to theopposite side of the shoe-upper by means of prongs 4. Punched from thebody of the plate 3 is a pocket 5, having an upper slotted wall or roof6, inclined to the surface of the plate, the rear of the pocketterminating in a reduced extension 5, separated from the pocket properby an ofiset 7 Formed at the j uncture of the lower edge of the wall 6with the plate 3 proper is a transverse slit 8, which a In thedraw-ings,Figure -l is a,perspee.tive. view of a shoe, showing our inventionapplied the j unctnre of the plate 3 and pocket extei1- ceive theserrated tongue 1fof the male memtially the width of the openingresulting from ing folded back on the plate, and thus closthe slit 8 tothe slit 9. Operating ini-the 1ongitudinal slot of the wall 6 is theshank of a locking stud 11, the base of the shank to its lowest positionalong the Wall 6 being adapted to be engaged by one of the the tensionor pullof the tongue the more firmly will the block 12 be wedged betweenthewall 6 and tongue 1 and the more efiectively will the parts heclasped. (See Fig. 4.) Upon shifting the stud to its highest position onthe wall 6, (see Fig. 3,) out of disengagement with the tongue, (whichshifting may be done either by seizing the stud and shiftof disengagingit from the block and at the same time shoving the latter 'up theincline,) the latter can readily be withdrawn and the respectivesections of the device unclasped.

While we have herein denominated the do vice as a shoe-clasp, it is tobe noted that we do not limit .its application to shoes; but the samemay be used as a glove-clasp, corset-clasp, and the like-that is to say,for wearing-apparel generally.

The device may be altered in details without departing from the spiritof our invention. While only two clasps are shown in connection with theshoe in Fig. 1, it is obvious that shown merely illustrating theapplicationof our device.

claim isher. 'The plate 3 is originally forlnedwith' an extended andreduced lip 10 of substaning the open bottom of the pocket and serv-'ing to guide the tongue thercthrongh from being provided witha-wedge-shaped-bloole 12, overlapping the sides of the slot along theunder surface of the wall 6, .(see Fig. 5,)" the base or back of thewedge when shifted.

Having described our invention, what we' alines with a correspondingslit 9, formed at sion-5, the slits 8 and 9 being designed to rethepunching of the pocket 5, the said lip beserrations of the tongue 1, andthe greater :86 ing it up the inclined wall or 'by-forcing'the tongueinward, which would have the effect any desired number may be used, thetwo 1. A claspcomprisinga male: and female member, a serrated tongueforming a part of the male member, a pocket formed in the female memberand having an upper inclined slotted wall, a locking-stud having a shankoperating in the slot of the inclined wall, a wedge-shaped block carriedat the base of the shank within the pocket and spanning .the slot of theinclined wall, a reduced extension forming a part of the pocket,transverse slits formed at the base of the inclined wall and the outeredge of the extension for the free reception of the serrated tongue, theparts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A clasp having a male and female member, the latter comprising asuitable blank or plate having apocket punched therefrom, and a lipextended beyond the limits of the pocket and adapted to be folded backagainst the no plate and thus close the opening left in the plate by theformation of the pocket, substan= tially as set forth,

3. A clasp comprising a male and female member, a tongue forming a partof the male member, a pocket formed in the female member and having anupperinolined slotted wall, a locking-stud having a shank operating inthe slot of the inclined wall, a block carried at the base of the shankwithin the pocket and spanning the slot of the inclined wall, slitsleading to and from the pocket for the reception of the tongue, theparts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we allix our signa= tures in presence of twowitnesses.

JESSE IIODGES. I CHAS. 0. SOBINSKI. \Vitnessesi EMIL STAREK, JAMES JODONOHOE,

